The Shed - Hudson Yards Transportation Access and Operations Study

gzadan — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 19:16:54 +0000

The Shed - Hudson Yards Transportation Access and Operations Study gzadan Mon, 08/07/2023 - 15:16

The Shed is a 225,000 square foot multi-functional art and performance space in the revitalized Hudson Yards neighborhood on Manhattan’s ��Ϸ��st Side. The unique project was designed to transform from an intimate venue to one with stadium seating, offering interior and exterior options under extremely varied operational hours.

Challenge

Like other high-end, high-profile urban hospitality venues, approval of food and beverage licensing from the local community board was critical to the facility’s operations and financial success. Approvals hinged upon the planning team’s transportation access and operations study to demonstrate appropriate traffic management and operational safety measures were considered in future operations.

Solution

The myriad potential configurations of the Shed required a particularly unique utilization study. Our methodology first defined the land use and transportation context. Analysis of architecture and operations encompassed unique spatial programming capabilities, regular and special event programming alternatives, hours of operation, circulation, and access. A patron demand profile was developed for each of the basic spaces to determine capacity, daily space demand, mode of arrival profile, and peak hour demand and mode split. With this profile, the planning team broke the functions into digestible and simplified operational scenarios. Through these scenarios, the traffic operational demands of the Shed were evaluated in relation to the area traffic and larger transportation system context.

Benefit

The comprehensive study was unanimously approved by the community board, clearing a path for the Shed’s successful opening. GZA’s planners effectively demonstrated that the venue’s many (often simultaneous) programmatic possibilities had been considered—mass scale events with long hours, daily peak traffic generated by pedestrians, patron drop offs and Hudson Yards office workers, entertainment events—and mitigation scenarios had been implemented. GZA is the most active and trusted advisor in New York City for New York State Liquor Authority approvals, having completed many similar studies.

Food and beverage licensing
Land use, planning and rezoning
Traffic analysis
Pedestrian flow analysis
Transit access analysis
Facility demand scenario planning
Trusted advisor in NYC for New York State Liquor Authority approvals

New York

Land Use and Environmental Planning

Crown Heights/Atlantic Avenue Rezoning and Revitalization Efforts

gzadan — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 18:47:34 +0000

Crown Heights/Atlantic Avenue Rezoning and Revitalization Efforts gzadan Mon, 08/07/2023 - 14:47

GZA planners have been deeply involved in this Crown Heights neighborhood for 10+ years, providing planning services to optimize its revitalization. Zoning had outgrown historical uses, resulting in conforming but waning manufacturing uses, brownfields, non-confirming residential housing, and blighted land uses. The neighborhood’s ready access to a vital transportation corridor added great value to its potential.

Challenge

As developer interest and stakeholder participation intensified regarding the neighborhood’s evolution, a politically charged environment threatened to complicate development approvals that could spur neighborhood revitalization.

Solution

Having previously worked with the local community board and multiple developers on other projects in the immediate Crown Heights/Atlantic Avenue neighborhood, GZA planners had established themselves as a trusting, mediating voice in the contentious political environment, facilitating community-based planning efforts. GZA planners helped build support between community board members, city planners, architects, and developers to negotiate M-Crown District criteria for density, affordable housing criteria, building heights, etc. by contributing unbiased environmental planning. The 1034 Atlantic Avenue project was successfully approved for two, 10-story mixed-use residential buildings that provide significantly more high-quality and affordable housing, a walkable environment, and commercial opportunities. Other rezoning/revitalization projects in the immediate neighborhood to which our planners have contributed include 1919 Pacific, 1010 Pacific, 1050 Pacific, Grand and Pacific, and 1209 Atlantic Avenue.

Benefit

GZA’s innovative problem solving and direct involvement in the collaboration with community members, political entities, and regulators resulted in consensus and development of a successful, sustainable development benefitting the neighborhood as well as the developers. It has provided a roadmap for a neighborhood-wide plan.

Environmental planning
Mixed use development
CEQR
Land use, zoning, and public policy
Comprehensive studies included noise, transportation, air quality
High profile
Roadmap for neighborhood-wide plan

New York

Buildings & Real Estate Development

Land Use and Environmental Planning

Land Use & Zoning Consulting

The Shed - Hudson Yards Transportation Access and Operations Study

Challenge

Solution

Benefit

Crown Heights/Atlantic Avenue Rezoning and Revitalization Efforts

Challenge

Solution

Benefit